Avis Blackthorn: Is Not an Evil Wizard! (16 page)

I tore off the shiny red paper and opened the
box, inside… was a key. A small, twirly key. Tina looked non
plussed too. “What the?”

I took it out and twirled it round in my
hands. It was a very plain, very interesting silver key. I gave it
to Tina who inspected it as if it were the missing link then gave
it back. “I don’t know what that’s for. Maybe it’s a mistake?” she
said.

I tucked it inside my robe pocket and carried
on with breakfast. Christmas day with Tina just happened to be the
best day of my entire life.

For the rest of the Christmas holidays me and
Tina were inseparable. She would leave, saying she was going for a
shower, but barely ten minutes later she would be back in the clock
tower with a new idea and wet hair. We had a lot of fun. But she
also shared my obsession with Malakai. He had caused us both
nothing but pain and we talked non stop about what we could do
next.

The day before she was due to start lessons
again, everyone returned from the Christmas break. We sat and
watched them from the clock tower. Tina was in Hubris form,
apparently she didn’t really get on with them, because they were
all a bit swatty and weedy, no fun basically. She hadn’t played
Riptide yet, and was terrified of that day arriving because she
“
saw how mullered
we got.”

Having dinner in a once again packed Chamber
was bitter-sweet. It was nice to see it so lively again, but some
part of me really enjoyed the solitude and peace of an empty
Chamber.

The night before lessons were due to start,
Tina said a final farewell, properly this time for she had a weeks
worth of homework to catch up on. I walked back to the clock tower,
jealous that they all got to return to lessons. Just as I got
halfway up the stairs to the clock tower, Partington suddenly
leered out from the entrance to the stone staircase.

“Avis! At flipping last!” he cried, looking
exasperated. “Do you realise how long I’ve been looking for you,
you weren’t in the specified room you were allocated…” he gestated
frantically, then sighed and began rubbing his glasses. “Can we
talk somewhere?” We went up the stairs a little way, into one of
the corridors nearest the clock tower. I wasn’t ready to give away
my hiding spot yet.

“Look,” he said in a fast voice. “I’ve
managed to convince the Lily to let you back into my lessons.” I
wasn’t expecting that. “Hunter is fine with it, some of the others
a little less so, but Hunter spoke up for you.”

“Did he? That was good of him.”

Partington leaned a little closer as if the
walls were listening. “And er, just to let you know… I erm… I don’t
think it was you. I mean… you’re just a kid, a good kid. I know you
wouldn’t do that kind of thing.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that crept across
my mouth. “Thanks Sir…”

Partington nodded to himself. “I’ve felt
awful these past few weeks, knowing you’re rattling around in here
somewhere, your hard to find…”

***

I sat in class on my own, at a table near the
back. But it was brilliant, so good to be allowed back at last.

Dennis and Ellen walked in first and stopped,
staring at me. I smiled as best I could, until they tip toed into
the room and took their seats, shooting worried looks in my
direction. Then Jess, Florence and Joanna drifted in, their
conversation stopping abruptly when they saw me. Simon appeared
next with Graham and Robin, who was staring at the floor. Graham
and Simon glared at me and took a seat as far away as possible.
Robin didn’t acknowledge me at all. Hunter didn’t even notice me
when he came in, for he nearly tripped over a pile of cauldrons by
the door.

When everyone was seated and quiet,
Partington swept into the room, all eyes went from me to him and
back again as if to say
what is he doing here?

“Yes,” said Partington. “Avis is back in
classes, I am glad to announce.”

Hunter turned and smiled at me. Robin was sat
very deep in thought next to Dawn, who was doing her best sour face
impression. I was pleased, when I looked around, to only see Simon
and Graham’s ties had turned maroon.

Just to get back to learning meaningful
things was so satisfying. We started studying:

• The science of vibrations and wavelengths of a
Spell.

• Magical creatures in the fourth plane.

• The four Spells of enlightenment and the history
of Hexes.

Of course Straker wouldn’t accept me into his
lessons, so Partington took me through all the stuff I missed while
I was away, which, oddly, had nothing to do with any of the work
that Ernie had given me. I didn’t question this however because I
didn’t want Partington to get cross and chuck me out, just when I’d
got back.

I even enjoyed the homework each night
because Tina would join me. We would sit, wrapped in blankets under
the blue fire, and watch the sun set over the horizon. After we
finished we would discuss Malakai and what we could do to stop him.
Of course, it was all hypothetical - but I still had this burning
desire to set the record straight, one day.

Gradually, I was accepted back into my form.
People began talking to me, perhaps realising, in their own way,
that I couldn't do something like that to Hunter. Sometimes, at
dinner, I would sit back on the Condors’ table, but I waited to see
if Tina was around first. When I’d see her, she would start by
telling me about the Spells that she’d learnt, and how they could
go towards fighting or stopping Malakai.

“What we need to do is…” she said chewing the
end of a carrot. “Find out where
M
goes when he comes into
the school… follow him… because I
bet
, he leads us to the…”
then she’d look around, lean in, and whisper. “…
the
Book
Of Names
. The source of his power. If we stop that, we stop
him.”

I nodded along, not entirely sure if we, two
children, could just
stop him
.

A few weeks after being allowed back in
lessons, I was walking along the main hallway with its dangling
chandeliers and blood red carpets. David Starlight spotted me a way
off and scuttled away with his Eagles friends. My stomach rumbled.
I imagined myself a minute into the future, tucking into a lovely
pie and chips, or jam tart and custard or whatever they had on
offer. Just before I got to the Chamber doors, this ghost popped up
out of the ground in front of me. My first though was Ernie, but
this ghost was old and wore a red uniform.

“You are required to go to the Lily’s office
at once…” droned the ghost, before shooting away. People around me
were watching and muttering. They thought I had done something
else, I just knew it. I swallowed, then turned trekking off towards
the Headmaster’s office as my stomach rumbled again. It was about
time he told me what was going on.

The Lily’s office was in the very middle of
school, somewhere between the Numerology department and the
Horticulture wing. The doors were massive, like great big white
wings, pointed at the top and decorated with all the schools form
symbols. As I tapped the big shiny ringed knocker, I had a barrage
of questions and insults ready to hurl at the Lily.

“Avis
hello
…” said the Lily as soon as
the doors opened, beaming at me from behind his desk. I stepped
forward slowly as the door shut behind me with a click. “Come
ahead, take a seat.”

I had to squint. The room was big, bright and
almost everything in it was white. The chair before the Lily’s huge
decorative, white desk, was big and soft. I felt like a leprechaun
as I jumped up into it.

“Thank you for coming. I appreciate the last
few months have been…
taxing
on you. For that you have my
highest sympathy and apology.”

All the way up the corridor I was thinking of
the best curses for the Lily and my choicest words. But now,
sitting opposite him, with his hands folded, and serene eyes
looking deep into me, all that was lost. His voice and body
language was so calming that all negativity left me. I saw a deep
meaningful apology, empathy and understanding in his eyes.
Something more than words would be able to communicate.

“It’s fine,” I mumbled.

His desk was very organised and optimised the
room. Everything in it had its own place. Light flooded in through
tall, floor to ceiling windows, either side of the desk.

“Would you like to tell me, in your own
words, what happened. And I want to know
everything
…” he
smiled.

It felt good to tell the Lily, whose kind
eyes didn’t sway or judge but simply accepted. When I finished he
nodded, pressing his hands together.

“The greatest men have often faced great
adversity. It’s what makes them great.”

It was strange how he made me feel so
comfortable, so able to tell him everything - I wasn’t sure if I
liked it.

“Now, Avis… I would quite like to know about
your upbringing and family. You, I have heard, are something of an
anomaly in your family.”

“Yes, they are all evil, you know, the famous
Blackthorns. Except… I’m not, never have been…”

“Clearly,” the Lily smiled urging me to speak
on.

“I don’t know,” I fumbled. “I suppose it was
hard growing up, they treat me like some sorry old pet, a burden to
the family and the name. I can’t do anything right in their eyes. I
thought maybe being evil would make them pleased, but it’s not who
I am. I just can’t do it, no matter how hard I try… I’m just not as
strong as them.”

“On the contrary Avis, I think there is more
courage in you then there is in all of them. You stood up to them
and stayed true to who you are. I would say the opposite if you
were sat here with me knowing you had committed evil acts, but you
didn’t. In that way, you are a thousand times what they are.”

I nodded unable to prevent a smile. “And do
you believe that it wasn’t me, who set that demon on Hunter?”

He raised his eyebrows high. “Of course I
don’t believe it was you. I never did.”

“Then why, if you knew I was innocent, did
you let people think I was the one who set the demon on him?”

“Now, I never said anything about who it was
to anyone. There were higher forces at work and… I am afraid
politics came into play, for which I can only apologise. For your
own safety we separated you from the rest of the school while we
found out what happened. If we would have told the truth, my
feeling is the school would have been shut with immediate effect…”
the Lily sighed and I saw lines appear on his old face. “I let
Malakai in… it was a case of, keep your friends close and enemies
closer… it’s hard to explain,” he said, looking agitated.

“But, no one told me anything, for ages,” I
said.

“I know,” moaned the Lily. “I always try and
find a solution that appeases all. Malakai is a very powerful
Wizard. By letting him in, I could gain an insight into what he was
doing.” the Lily got up and moved around the room, long white cloak
dragging behind. “I went to school with him, we were in the same
class would you believe. Never would I think that he would grow to
be what he is now. He threatens all that we stand for. You see,
Magic is a funny old thing. For most it is an extension to life, it
makes things easier, more enjoyable, more productive. But for
others who let it, it can become like a drug - addictive,
destructive, and can rein your thoughts entirely.” He chuckled and
pulled open a drawer on a huge white chest.

“You see this?” he held up a large black and
white picture. “This was Malakai when he was about your age…” He
held the picture up and let it float in the air, coming round to
view it with me. We both stared at a plump, wide eyed, blonde boy
in long, unfitting robes. But then I noticed something, something
that made me quiver a little inside. On this boy’s wrist, was an
amulet channeller, exactly the same as mine. I glanced down at my
own, the pattern was exactly the same all the way round.

“So… did you know his name back then?” I said
tucking it back under my sleeve. The Lily looked away from the
picture and frowned, confused by the question, so I sped ahead. “I
mean, like, what was he called in school?”

“He had a few names in the first year,
couldn't decide it seemed. Then in third year he settled for
Malakai - god knows why, he was teased non-stop. He was an Outsider
you see, didn’t have the faintest clue about Magic until he got
here.”

I nodded, little bits of information clinging
together in my brain. There was something on the cusp of being
discovered. I just knew it.

“People have true names don’t they sir?”

The Lily rolled the picture back up. “Yes.
Everyone. But if you’re thinking you will go and find out Malakai’s
true name, don’t. I have been there and done it. He’s been back and
deleted all sign and notion of it,” the Lily began pushing pens
around the table. “Avis…” he said. “I want you to remain strong.
You have a great future ahead of you, if you work hard, keep your
head down, and forget the past.”

I left his office buzzing. The revelation
being… I was wearing Malakai’s old channeller.

For the first time in ages, I skipped along
the corridor back to my clock tower. I hadn’t skipped in ages. I
was still starving, my stomach rumbling all the way along and I
couldn't decide whether to go and get some food or find Tina and
tell her the revelation. Following my stomach, I grabbed a small
plate of sandwiches from the Chamber and slid out before anyone saw
me. Luckily, I didn’t have to go to lessons because Wednesday
afternoon had officially become ‘
homework afternoon
’, which
meant, of course, no one actually did any.

When I pushed open the hatch to the clock
tower however, Tina was already there, standing, arms folded
looking out of the clock.